Chamber and committees

The terms and conditions of any employees accompanying a time chartered vessel are the responsibility of the vessel’s owner/operator. When necessary the Scottish Government has ensured that crews working on vessels time chartered by CalMac Ferries Ltd receive the National Living Wage.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero, which requires working in close partnership with high carbon sectors, businesses and our local communities.

The Scottish Government is working alongside high-emitting businesses to help them understand their carbon impact and to decarbonise while building resilience and strengthening competitive advantage. We have committed £62 million to support the oil and gas sector to progress the energy transition via the Energy Transition Fund, alongside £180 million via the Emerging Technologies Fund (EETF) to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries over the next five years. These technologies will facilitate the faster decarbonisation of energy intensive industries across Scotland.

In addition, we have commenced £60 million of co-investment with industrial manufacturers to transition towards lower carbon production. The £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) is supporting industrial energy efficiency and deeper decarbonisation projects, tailored to the specific needs of Scotland’s industrial base. The £26 million Manufacturing Low Carbon Challenge Fund (MLCCF) will build on the successes of the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support innovation in low carbon technology, processes and infrastructure.

As highlighted in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update, we will launch a Net Zero Transition Managers Programme, facilitating a number of non-revenue generating roles within Scottish manufacturing businesses to incentivise energy intensive industries (EII) to compete in low margin markets. The Managers will be embedded in their organisations and tasked with identifying, quantifying and recommending decarbonisation opportunities for the businesses.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the business community to help support the transition, with a specific focus on high carbon and strategic economic sites, like Grangemouth. Last year, we established the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to help support the sustainability and competitiveness of that core manufacturing cluster, and help harness its assets, capabilities and skills as we transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government is currently working to establish a high-level, cross-sector strategic partnership, the Scottish Industrial Decarbonisation Partnership (SIDP) to shape the long-term policy approach to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries. This new policy commitment is a direct response to engagement with stakeholders, is in line with the Climate Change Committee recommendations and will focus on improving the conditions for delivery of deep decarbonisation. To develop a whole-system approach to net zero industrial transition, SIDP will have a diverse membership that is reflective of the markets, and the culture, that Scottish industry operates within.

Early and strategic planning is required to ensure the benefits of the transition to net zero are captured, and risks mitigated. As such, the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, and communities, to bring forward sectoral Just Transition Plans, charting the transition of sites, industries, and regions.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero, which requires working in close partnership with high carbon sectors, businesses and our local communities.

The Scottish Government is working alongside high-emitting businesses to help them understand their carbon impact and to decarbonise while building resilience and strengthening competitive advantage. We have committed £62 million to support the oil and gas sector to progress the energy transition via the Energy Transition Fund, alongside £180 million via the Emerging Technologies Fund (EETF) to support the development of Scottish hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries over the next five years. These technologies will facilitate the faster decarbonisation of energy intensive industries across Scotland.

In addition, we have commenced £60 million of co-investment with industrial manufacturers to transition towards lower carbon production.

• a £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) will support industrial energy efficiency and deeper decarbonisation projects, and be tailored to the specific needs of Scotland’s industrial base
• a £26 million Manufacturing Low Carbon Challenge Fund (MLCCF) will build on the successes of the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support innovation in low carbon technology, processes and infrastructure.

As highlighted in Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update, we will launch a Net Zero Transition Managers Programme, facilitating a number of non-revenue generating roles within Scottish manufacturing businesses to incentivise energy intensive industries (EII) to compete in low margin markets. The Managers will be embedded in their organisations and tasked with identifying, quantifying and recommending decarbonisation opportunities for the businesses.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the business community to help support the transition, with a specific focus on high carbon and strategic economic sites, like Grangemouth. Last year, we established the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to help support the sustainability and competitiveness of that core manufacturing cluster, and help harness its assets, capabilities and skills as we transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government is currently working to establish a high-level, cross-sector strategic partnership, the Scottish Industrial Decarbonisation Partnership (SIDP) to shape the long-term policy approach to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries. This new policy commitment is a direct response to engagement with stakeholders, is in line with the Climate Change Committee recommendations and will focus on improving the conditions for delivery of deep decarbonisation. To develop a whole-system approach to net zero industrial transition, SIDP will have a diverse membership that is reflective of the markets, and the culture, that Scottish industry operates within.

Early and strategic planning is required to ensure the benefits of the transition to net zero are captured, and risks mitigated. As such, the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, and communities, to bring forward sectoral Just Transition Plans, charting the transition of sites, industries, and regions.

As announced by myself, Professor Ken Muir has been appointed to act as the Independent Advisor to the Scottish Government on the reform of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland. In his role as Advisor, Professor Muir will provide advice to the Scottish Government as outlined in his revised remit that was published on 19 August 2021.

Since taking up role as Advisor on 2 August, Professor Muir has established an Expert Panel and a Practitioner and Stakeholder Advisory Group to support his work. We understand the Advisor has invited the Scottish Youth Parliament to join the Practitioner and Stakeholder Advisory Group. This Group will play a significant role in supporting the work of the Advisor and his Expert Panel - further information, including Terms of Reference and membership of these groups, is available here: Scottish Government | Education Reform

I also announced the creation of a Children and Young Person’s Education Council and we will ensure that this group and the voices of young people are heard during the process led by Professor Muir and broader plans to implement the recommendations of the OECD report.

The Scottish Government is pleased that three Scottish areas are involved in the expression of interest phase of the UK City of Culture 2025 competition. Scottish Government officials have attended the dedicated information session for potential Scottish bidders and are working closely with DCMS and Creative Scotland to support the overarching application process. Officials will continue to work with all of the bid teams and will continue to discuss the Borderlands bid with South of Scotland Enterprise and all relevant partners.

In line with the updated guidance on reducing risk in schools and the move to Level 0, children and young people can now engage in all music activities in schools, indoors and outdoors. Safety mitigations, for example good ventilation and enhanced hygiene, should continue to apply in relevant settings where these activities are taking place.

The guidance can be found at the link below:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

To support education recovery during the pandemic, the Scottish Government has committed funding that has enabled local authorities to recruit an additional 1,400 teachers and 250 support staff. From April 2022, funding equating to £80m per annum will be baselined in to the local government settlement. This will ensure local authorities are able to offer sustained employment of additional teachers and support staff, while meeting local needs and benefitting Scotland’s children and young people.

This is in addition to the £65.5m permanent additional funding announced on
‎ 9 August for local authorities to recruit a further additional 1,000 teachers and 500 support staff.

The Scottish Government has awarded grants totalling £2,235,789 from the Coronavirus Resilience and Recovery Fund for Legal Aid (CRRF). Applications from 84 firms and law centres have been approved and 1 grant is pending subject to a recalculation of award, which is now in the process of being concluded.

The total number of applicants who did not meet the criteria for funding is 195 and is broken down into the following categories:

1. The applicant’s legal aid income did not meet the criteria – 22 applications.

2. No shortfall in applicant’s income was calculated compared with casework prior to pandemic, against the criteria for funding – 124 applications.

3. Applicants demonstrated no shortfall in expected fee income, against the criteria for funding, and have been or will be paid other forms of government support in excess of this sum - 49 applications.

Scottish Ministers made a commitment to keep the CRRF under review and have worked in collaboration with the Law Society for Scotland, the Bar Associations and the Scottish Solicitors’ Bar Association on the co-design and eligibility criteria of a new fund.

An announcement by the Scottish Government was made on 4 August 2021 to launch a new £6.7 million Legal Aid Business Support and Recovery Fund, in support of the Government’s Renew, Recover and Transform Programme which aims to deliver a wide range of measures in recognition of the important role in the Justice system of vital legal aid services in Scotland as we emerge and recover from the pandemic.

The Scottish Government is working constructively and collaboratively with the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association and representatives of several bar associations to co-design and deliver a wide range of measures in recognition of the important role in the Justice system of vital legal aid services in Scotland as we emerge and recover from the pandemic.

As well as delivering the first stage of an uplift to legal aid fees of more than 10% over the next two years, the Scottish Government is providing up to £1 million over the next 2 years to support 40 legal aid traineeship posts. The Legal Aid Traineeship fund will increase the capacity and capability of the legal aid profession in Scotland by providing employment and training opportunities. The funding also aims to increase diversity and equality within the legal profession by the recruitment and retention of trainees from under-represented groups across the legal profession including people with a disability, from minority ethnic communities or from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Police management information, while a useful tool, should be used with caution. These are not official statistics and should not be taken as indicative of longer term trends. Due to the exceptional circumstances of the last year, caution is even more necessary when considering the information for 2020-21, as a rise in complaints and neighbour disputes in relation to potential breaches of COVID-19 restrictions are included.

Measuring change in antisocial behaviour over time is best done using population-based measures and all the evidence points towards a long-term, sustained reduction in Scotland. For example, the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey shows the proportion of adults who feel people behave in an antisocial manner in their area has fallen from 46% in 2008-09 to 33% in 2019-20 (with no change identified between 2018-19 and 2019-20).

We remain committed to tackling all forms of antisocial behaviour while recognising the progress made and will continue to work with partners to deliver the best outcomes for communities.

As set out in the Draft Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, which was published on 20 June in conjunction with the consultation paper on the introduction of new legislation on the sale and use of fireworks in Scotland, and tackling the misuse of pyrotechnics Police Scotland has been a key driver in requesting the proposed offence and related stop and search power for pyrotechnics.

The new offence provisions will require Police Scotland to refresh their guidance on stop and search and pyrotechnics that is currently in place for their officers. Police Scotland has confirmed that there will be no additional resources required. Similar powers already exist for a person having an offensive weapon or dangerous instrument with them in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority and it is anticipated that the proposed new offence will be enforced in a similar manner. In due course it is hoped that the new offence and stop and search power for pyrotechnics will make our communities safer and reduce public disorder thereby reducing the number of police operations.